washburn



Jan. 24, 1956 E, WASHBIURN 2,731,844

DRIVE FOR SAW MILL CARRIAGES AND THE. LIKE Filed Dec. 5, 1954 2 Sheets Sheet l INVENTOR ERNEST E. WAGHBURN ATTORNEYS Jan. 24, 1956 E, E. WASHBURN DRIVE FOR SAW MILL CARRIAGES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 3, 1954 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 6 DRIVE FOR SAW MILL CARRIAGES AND THE LIKE Ernest E. Washburn, Brunswick, Maine Application December 3, 1954, Serial No. 472,349 13 Claims. (Ci. 742t 2) driven feed drum for the purposes intended.

In a frictional transmission mechanism of this general trics, together with a friction drive operating lever attached to said coupling means and located centrally of its length between the two applying eccentrics, said applying eccentrics being oppositely disposed ranged that when the coupling means is moved in one longitudinal direction by the operating lever, a friction drive is placed in driving peripheral engagement with the feed drum and simultaneously therewith the other fn'ction drive is moved to a maintained out of such driving relationship, and correspondingly with the reversal of such operations brought about when the coupling means is moved in the permitting the feed drum to be A further object of the invention is to provide a manually operated lever associated with the coupling means between the two being so related to the coupling and centrally located mountings, said lever tact with the feed drum.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an automatic self centering device for the manually ing relationship with the feed drum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shock either friction drive is initially placed into driving relation with the feed drum to be driven.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved frictional transmission riage which is to be reciprocated back and forth during operation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the associated pulleys and drive mechanism incident to rotating the friction drive shafts in the desired opposite directions;

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the relationship between the two ing the friction drives alternately to the feed drum;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the eccentric Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the arms of the coupling means between the operating lever and the friction drive applying eccentrics, and also showing the shock absorbing means associated therewith.

In the present embodiment of cular saw is used as indicated at 12, indicates the trackway upon which reciprocated.

The cable drum and furthermore '13 the log carriage is properly in friction drives and 21 to be placed alternately in peripheral engagement with the feed drum for driving the latter and associated cable drum in opposite rotative directions for the purposes intended and dependent upon which of the friction drives 29 and 21 is in contact with the driven feed drum 19; it being further noted that the shafts 22 and 23 upon which the friction drives are mounted constantly rotate in opposite directions during operation of the machine, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the saw '12 is fixed upon a shaft 24 freely rotatable in fixed bearings 25 and 26 mounted upon the supporting base framework of the machine and indicated generally by reference numeral 27, and it is this shaft 24 which constitutes the main drive shaft for the machine, said shaft carrying a pulley 28, fixed thereon, which is driven by a belt 29, operated from the usual power house (not shown). it will also be noted that shaft 24 has a puiley 3t) rotatively associated therewith for driving an endless belt 31, said pulley being driven in a clockwise direction by said drive shaft 24. This belt 31 is in frictional engagement with pulleys 32 and 33 and in view of the fact that the upper flight of said belt passes beneath the pulley 32, said pulley is driven in a counterclockwise direction while the pulley 33 is driven in a clockwise direction, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The pulley 32 is fixedly mounted on shaft 22, and the pulley 33 is likewise mounted on shaft 23, which are the two shafts upon which the friction drives are fixedly mounted. Each of the friction drive shafts has at one end thereof a fixed bearing (these fixed bearings being indicated at 34 and 35), while at the other end of each shaft and inwardly disposed with respect to its friction drive, is a double eccentric mounting for each shaft, the two double eccentric mountings being designated 36 and The double eccentric mountings are illustrated in detail in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, and it will be noted that each mounting comprises two concentrically arranged eccentrics, namely an outer eccentric 38, and an inner eccentric 39, and each mounting is preferably contained within a housing 40, the cover plate for said housing being shown at 41. The inner and outer eccentrics are separated one from the other by a ball bearing raceway 42 (preferably in two sections) press fitted between said eccentrics in grease sealed condition and held in place by lock rings 43, as shown in Fig. 5.

Welded to one side of the inner eccentric, as shown for instance, at 44 in Fig. 5, is a plate-like member 45, and to the opposite side of this plate-like member is fixedly attached a flange type ball bearing member 46, which in turn surrounds the friction drive shaft 23, as shown for instance in Fig. 5. The outer raceway section of this hearing member 46 has an integral circumferential flange 47 in facial contact with the plate-like member and held in fixed relation thereto by cap screws 48, while the inner raceway of said hearing has an integral outwardly projecting sleeve 49 surrounding friction drive shaft 23 with a close fit and fixedly secured thereto by set screw 50. It will, of course, be understood that identical elements and arrangement of parts are likewise provided incident to the friction drive shaft 22, as is obvious.

In the double eccentric arrangement as just set forth herein, the outer eccentrics 38 are merely used to provide a relatively fine adjustment for the friction drives in placing them in proper spaced inoperative positions relative to the peripheral face of the feed drum. In this connection, the outer peripheral face of the outer eccentric is provided with gear teeth 51, which teeth are in mesh with a small pinion gear 52 journalled at the base of the housing 40. This pinion gear 52 in each instance has integral therewith a hexagonal nut-like member 53 projecting outwardly beyond the face of each double eccentric housing cover plate 41, and easily accessible for applying a wrench thereto for rotating the pinion gear 52 either to the right or left incident to making the desired rotative adjustment of the outer eccentric member. Also this pinion gear may be freed for rotation or locked in adjusted position by cap screw 54, which cap screw extends through the axis of said pinion gear and then threaded into the base of housing 40 for the purposes intended. The pinion gear 52 being in mesh with gear teeth 51 formed upon the outer face of the outer eccentric, it will of course be obvious that rotative adjustment of the pinion gear will correspondingly rotatably adjust the outer eccentric in either direction, which outer eccentric, when so adjusted, serving to move the friction drive shaft (and naturally its friction drive) either in a lateral direction toward or away from the feed drum 19, depending upon the direc tion of rotation of the pinion gear. In this manner, each friction drive (20 or 21) may be moved and placed in proper adjusted inoperative spaced relationship with the peripheral face of the feed drum 19 to be ultimately driven in the manner as set forth herein. It may be well to note at this time that the outer eccentric in performing its fine adjusting function for the friction drives rotates in either direction about a fixed axis, and when so rotated creates a camming action in a lateral direction against the applying eccentric as rotatably mounted therein, and with the applying eccentric being indirectly connected to the friction drive shaft as herein set forth, this eccentric camming action will necessarily bring about lateral movement of both the inner eccentric and its friction drive shaft simultaneously in the same direction dependent upon the rotative adjusting movements of the outer eccentric in either direction.

As herein indicated, it is necessary to provide a coupling means between the applying eccentrics of both eccentric mountings, and this for the purpose of permitting said applying eccentrics to function simultaneously to serve the purposes for which they are employed in the transmission mechanism herein disclosed. Furthermore, in the present embodiment of the invention, it is desirable to provide a vertically arranged manually operated lever which is centrally located between the two double eccentric mountings and attached to the coupling means at a point intermediate its overall length. This manually operated lever is indicated at 55 in Figs. 3 and 4 and is pivotally mounted at 56 upon that part of the machine structure located between the two eccentric housings 40. Furthermore, when this operating lever is in its neutral position as shown in Fig. 4, both friction drives 20 and 21, through the rigid coupling means as provided, are held and maintained in inoperative spaced relationship with the peripheral surface of the feed drum, and therefore the log carriage is thus maintained in a stationary or rest position.

The coupling means between the two applying eccentrics is made up of two identically designed push rod sections generally indicated at 57 in the drawings, one section arranged on each side of the manually operated'lever and each connecting said lever to one of the applying eccentrics for operating the same in applying and releasing its friction drive as the lever is rocked upon its pivotal connection alternately in opposite directions at the will of the operator and according to whether the log carriage is to be moved toward or away from the circular saw during a sawing operation. The detailed structure of each push rod section 57 is shown in Fig. 6, and comprises two parts screw-threadedly connected together for adjusting the length of the push rod section between its two connecting points. One of these parts is indicated at 58 and has one of its ends connected to the operating lever 55 by a universal ball and socket joint 59 as clearly shown in Fig. 6, the other end thereof being exteriorly threaded at 60 for screw-threaded relationship with an internally threaded portion 61 of the second part of said push rod section, which second part is spring loaded as clearly shown at the other end of said part. This spring the open end of said bore, a lonprovided in the side of the bored rod part to allow the ball end of gitudinal slot 69 being end of the second push log-carriage is moved in say a the saw; and of course when the It is a feature of the invention to said arm upon its pivotal mounting, which instance is a ball bearing mounting.

The lower end edge of lever 55 is provided with two 6 its pivot 56 to a neutral position and where the spring biased roller seeks and maintains a holding force against said oppositely disposed inclined surfaces at the centrally located meeting point between said surfaces, and to thus maintain the lever in its desired neutral position. In this connection, when the lever 55 is moved by manual pressure to the left as seen in Fig. 4, the spring biased removed from said lever.

While the invention has been disclosed in connection scope of the invention is to be defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described new and desire to States is:

p 1. In a machine for driving like, comprising a driven feed my invention, what I claim as secure by Letters Patent of the United a saw mill carriage or the drum, a pair of friction respect to the applying eccentric of and thus serving, when both applying eccentrics are rotated in the same direction, to laterally move one friction drive toward the peripheral face of the feed drum moving the other friction drive to inoperative position in a direction away from said feed drum, said oppositely disposed applying eccentrics being coupled together by means requiring rotation of said applying eccentrics simultaneously in the same direction, whereby when said applying eccentrics are oscillated back and forth said friction drives are alternately placed in peripheral engagement with the feed drum for intermittently rotating said feed drum in opposite directions incident to moving a log carriage toward and away from the saw during a log sawing operation.

3. In a machine for driving a saw mill carriage or the like, comprising a driven feed drum, a pair of friction drives arranged to peripherally engage said feed drum, the friction drives being fixedly mounted upon parallel shafts constantly rotating in opposite directions relative to each other during operation of the machine, an eccentric journal mounting surrounding each friction drive shaft and including an applying eccentric adapted to act upon its associated shaft to move said shaft in a lateral direction for placing its friction drive into or out of driving relation with the feed drum during rotation of said applying eccentric in the required direction, the applying eccentric of one mounting being oppositely disposed with respect to the applying eccentric of the other mounting and thus serving, when both applying eccentrics are rotated in the same direction, to laterally move one friction drive toward the peripheral face of the feed drum while at the same time laterally moving the other friction drive to inoperative position in a direction away from said feed drum, coupling means extending between the two applying eccentrics and tying them together for rotation simultaneously in either direction as said coupling means is reciprocated back and forth at the will of the operator, said coupling means including a pivotally mounted manually operated lever and two push rod sections pivotally attached to said lever at points above its pivotal mounting, said lever being centrally located between the eccentric mountings and each push rod section extending from said lever in a direction toward an eccentric mounting and to a position where the free end of said push rod is pivotally attached to an upstanding arm rigidly fixed to one of the applying eccentrics, whereby upon rocking movement of the operating lever upon its pivot toward or away from each eccentric mounting at the will of the operator said push rod sections are moved longitudinally back and forth to simultaneously rotate the applying eccentrics in the desired direction for placing the friction drives alternately in peripheral engagement with the feed drum and to thereby intermittently drive said feed drum in opposite directions incident to moving a log carriage toward or away from the saw during a log sawing operation.

4. The subject-matter of claim 3 wherein each push rod coupling section comprises two parts screw-threadedly connected together for adjusting the length of said section between its pivotal connecting points.

5. The subject-matter of claim 3 wherein each push rod coupling section has contained within it a shock absorbing means for the purposes intended.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the pivotal connection between each push rod coupling section and an applying eccentric includes shock absorbing elements on each side of said pivotal connection.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the pivotal connection between each push rod coupling section and an applying eccentric includes shock absorbing elements on each side of said pivotal connection, and wherein all of the shock absorbing elements including the pivotal connection may be assembled through the open end of a bore formed within said push rod section.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the lower end edge of the vertically disposed operating lever, as located below the pivotal mounting for said lever is provided with two upwardly inclined surfaces extending from the side edges of said lever and meeting at a central depressed point intermediate said side edges, and with a roller spring biased in an upward direction against either one of said upwardly inclined surfaces with sufficient force to move the operating lever to a central neutral position and with the roller finally contacting said surfaces at said central depressed point for maintaining said lever in such neutral position when the operators hands are removed from the lever.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein is provided a self centering device for the manually operated lever and including an upwardly spring biased roller contacting inclined surfaces upon the lower end edge of the operating lever incident to forcibly placing said lever in neutral position centrally located between the eccentric mountings.

10. in a machine for driving a saw mill carriage or the like, comprising a driven feed drum, a pair of friction drives arranged to peripherally engage said feed drum, said friction drives being fixedly mounted upon parallel shafts constantly rotating in opposite directions relative to each other during operation of the machine, an eccentric journal mounting surrounding each friction drive shaft and including an inner friction drive applying eccentric and an outer adjusting eccentric rotatably arranged upon a fixed support, said inner applying eccentric adapted to act upon its associated shaft to move said shaft in a lateral direction for placing its friction drive into or out of driving relation with respect to the feed drum during rotation of said applying eccentric in the required direction, and said outer eccentric adapted for fine adjustment within its fixed support and around said inner applying eccentric for moving said applying eccentric laterally in either direction to thereby position its friction drive in the desired spaced inoperative relation with respect to the peripheral face of the feed drum, the applying eccentric of one mounting being oppositely disposed with respect to the applying eccentric of the other mounting and thus serving when both applying eccentrics are rotated in the same direction to laterally move one friction drive from its adjusted spaced inoperative position toward the peripheral face of the feed drum while at the same time laterally moving the other friction drive to an inoperative position in a direction away from said feed drum, said oppositely disposed applying eccentrics being coupled to gether by means requiring rotation of said applying eccentrics simultaneously in the same direction, whereby when said applying eccentrics are oscillated back and forth said friction drives are alternately placed in peripheral engagement with the feed drum for intermittently rotating said feed drum in opposite directions incident to moving a log carriage toward and away from the saw during a log sawing operation.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein the outer adjusting eccentric is provided with gear teeth in mesh with a manually rotatable pinion carried by the support for said outer eccentric and adapted for fine rotative adjustment of said outer eccentric.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein tie outer adjusting eccentric is provided with gear teeth in mesh with a manually rotatable pinion carried by the fixed support for said outer eccentric and adapted for fine rotative adjustment of said outer eccentric, and including means for locking said pinion from rotation when proper adjustment has been made.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 10 and wherein a ball bearing raceway is press fitted between the inner and outer eccentrics of each eccentric journal mounting for the friction drive shafts.

' References Cited .in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS WWW... w. 

